Replicate
by Mori art ti
Summary: Valentina, Val, Replica...whatever people called her, she was sure to be special. But as much as she was special, she was also pained. Forcing her way into the Avengers Initiative maybe exactly what she, and the team, need...but what else will she grow to need from the experience?
1. PrefaceChapter One-Catch Me If You Can

**Prologue**

"So what made you finally want to turn yourself in?"

The man with the eyepatch looked down on me in complete distaste while he spoke to me, handcuffed to my chair but still looking more relaxed than anyone in the room. I smirked up at him and allowed myself to let a small laugh fall from my lips as I shook my head. S.H.I.E.L.D really had no idea what they were getting themselves into with this.

"Because," I started, leaning forward on the table to look at the other agent before me. I smiled at him before looking back to the man clearly in charge. "You need me. That's why I came to you. You're about to attempt to pull the Avengers together-oh yes, I know about that-and take on a force you have no business dealing with. You need all the help you can get, Director Fury. And unfortunately for you, I am just the woman for the job."

"We can't trust you. You've been hiding from us for a year after you snuck into one of our bases. We don't know what you know about our organization…except for, apparently, the Avengers Initiative."

The agent across the table spoke in a taunting tone, like he felt he was one step ahead of me. Really these men, Director Fury and Agent Coulson, were at least three steps behind me at _all_ times. I let another small laugh fall from my lips again, and shook my head at the foolish notion the two had.

"Let me lay this out for you. I know a _lot_ about what S.H.I.E.L.D has going on deep in its inner workings. You're worried about me knowing the Avengers shtick? Please, give me at least some credit. I could tear S.H.I.E.L.D apart from my living room on any given Sunday if I so chose…but I haven't, because I knew the day would come when you would need me. And, newsflash, you need me." The glance between the two men didn't go unnoticed by me, and I smirked at how uncomfortable they were. A year of trying to find me, and the past three hours of getting no answers from me, and they were starting to question everything. "If you let me in on the Avengers, I'll give you your answers. But only then. A pardon for me getting into your base, and a spot on the Avengers."

"Miss…only people with superpowers or near superpowers are allowed on that team. What could you possibly have to offer to the Avengers that we can't find in some other jail?"

Suppressing a laugh, I closed my eyes and allowed the familiar pain to move through my body as I transformed my body. Within seconds, I was no longer at the table, and was now replaced with an exact replica of none other than Captain America. One good pull to the handcuffs and I was free to stand up and stretch my arms before shifting back to my natural form and sitting back down in my seat. Coulson moved to reattach my handcuffs, but the clearly intrigued Director Fury simply held his hand up. I looked from the Director back to Coulson with a small smile on my lips, allowing the silence to linger for a moment longer than needed.

"You see Agent…form replication and power mimicry is extremely hard to come by in just some common jail cell."

 **Chapter One**

I was allowed one day back into my own apartment before I started my life as a S.H.I.E.L.D agent. I had agreed to the last hour spent in my home to be used as a meeting between Agent Coulson, an agent of his choice and myself…to actually become semi-acquainted. It seemed meeting a man in an interrogation room was not the most agreeable way to meet someone nowadays…who knew, right?

A knock at my door alerted me of my visitors from in my kitchen. Taking a deep breath, I walked to the front door, opening it slowly. Today I had chosen to actually stay in my _true_ form…my silvery-white blonde hair was cascading down my back, my pale skin a deep contrast to my black clothing, and my sapphire eyes bright with the dark makeup surrounding. I was shorter than Agent Coulson now, having to look up at the man to smile at his face. The agent he had chosen to bring was none other than Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow…an assassin of my own nationality.

"Pleasure to see you again, Agent. And Agent Romanoff…huge fan of yours." I winked in the redheads direction, opening the door wider and stepping aside so the pair could enter my home. "Please, come in. Let's get down to business."

"Your face is different today, Miss Pavlova."

I smirked at the words from Coulson, nearly having to shake my head at his foolishness. Of course I wasn't going to meet with S.H.I.E.L.D with my birth face yesterday, before knowing the outcome?

"I have many faces, Agent Coulson…but only one birth face."

"Sources tell us you don't typically show your birth face. What makes this occasion so different?"

My eyes traced over to Natasha, who had asked the question, a soft smile tracing my lips. I sat down in my red leather chair, motioning for the pair to sit across from me on my couch. Might as well get comfortable while being questioned, right?

"I figured the people I will be working with would actually like to know my face. The face I was born with, not someone else's. So…this is it. Soak it up. Revel in the fact you have "tamed" me for a moment." My eyes flashed to both of theirs and I let a deep breath escape from my lips, one I didn't realize I had been holding. "Would either of you like something to drink?"

"Not for the moment, Miss Pavlolva. What we need to happen here is for you to tell us about yourself. Your name, your past…why you broke into our base. And if you give satisfying answers we will be on our way to meet the other team members. Okay?"

I gave a stiff nod before reaching to my side and grabbing a mug of coffee. I tucked my knees into my chest and breathed deeply, taking a long drink from my mug. My eyes closed as the warmth trickled down my throat, and my sapphire orbs opened once more to meet Agent Coulson's soft, understanding eyes. _He's being an ass because he has to be, it's his job…go easy on him. Just give him what he wants._ A voice in the back of my head reminded me, and I inwardly nodded. It would be best to start the conversation myself, rather than waiting for questions to be asked.

"My name is Valentina Amelina Dmitrievna Pavlova. I'd much rather be called Val, only my parents ever called me Valentina. I was born in Kazan, Russia 25 years ago…although it seems much longer now." I paused to shrug a bit, taking another drink. I had never talked about my past with anyone, and this was sure to be a painful experience for me. I rarely even thought about my past. "My family lived in Russia for the first 10 years of my life, and then we moved to New York so my father, a doctor, could have more opportunity, and so I could make something of myself. Though, my parent's idea of making something of myself wasn't quite the normal…I'm sure you can relate, Natasha.

When I was 18 my father and mother sat me down to explain my future to me. They had secured something for me that would make me strong, and powerful, and I wouldn't even need to go to school…because I was about to become the best fighting machine in the damn world. I didn't have a choice. I was taken to some military base back in my homeland for my 'birthday gift'. You can guess the serum they injected me with didn't go _exactly_ as planned. They didn't quite know why it made me…this way. But, they did know they could use what it had done still.

There were so many experiments ran on me…for two years I stayed there. My parents abandoned me there, because I was an abomination now. They didn't want me as a daughter, and I think they were hoping the experiments would kill me. But when I finally got the hang of my newfound power…I escaped. I've been on the run for five years…from more than one person for the past year, might I add. Breaking into S.H.I.E.L.D wasn't me trying to get information for anyone more than myself. Selfishly…I was trying to see if you had anything on the group that had experimented on me. I would like nothing more than to see them go down, Agent Coulson.

And that's about it. I'm not some huge threat to the world, or you. Just a lost girl on the run who doesn't understand why this had to happen to her. Don't worry…Natasha can explain the feeling to you."

I breathed out deep and forced the tears back as I took a drink. I knew I would have to relive the memories later in my sleep…even now I had scenes playing in my mind that I had held back for so many years…

"Val…" Agent Coulson reached his hand across to rest on me knee, bringing me back from my thoughts. His voice was softer, and he had a gentle look in his eyes, like he understood now why we were even in the situation. Natasha was looking at me and her eyes held the same emotions mine had all of these years. "We need you to just show us what you can do, very quickly. I saw it briefly yesterday but…maybe you can understand that we need a little more."

I nodded and stood from my seat, closing my eyes. I felt the familiar pain, the tingle, and when I opened my eyes I knew they could see none other than Thor before them. I smiled softly before I made a spark of lightning appear in my hands, proving that I could now wield his power and not just his face. I closed my eyes again and shifted to their dear Director Fury, allowing myself to sit back in my seat in this form, giving a playful smile which no doubt looked out of place on the man's body.

"It's limitless, I guess. If I've seen your face, I can make it mine. I can also make certain changes…" I allowed Director Fury's hair to become a match to Natasha, earning a small laugh from Coulson. "If I've observed your power, it can be mine. And not just when I'm in your form. I can copy them in my body too, or any body. Sometimes I wonder why they called me Replica and not Thief."

I laughed softly and shifted back to my birth form, my laugh slowly transitioning to my own. I took another drink of my coffee while Natasha's eyes roamed over my body. She was intrigued by my power, I could tell. But what she didn't know is that is wasn't always so innocent.

"I can use it to tear people apart too…say there's someone from a person's past that can be used against them. A trap…to spark bad memories…imagine an exact replica of that person suddenly in front of them? It can really be quite detrimental."

"So you can either be really helpful, or really screw us over."

A smile fell onto my lips as the assassin spoke to me, and I finished the last bit of my coffee. I stood, straightening out the long sleeves of the black shirt I was currently wearing. I started out of the front door, picking up the few bags I had decided to pack.

"The plan is to help."


	2. Chapter 2-Mission One

Hello my darlings! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this story I am very excited to write. I would love if you would review and tell me how you feel about Val and her interactions with characters…this next one she will be introduced to the Avengers as we know them. This particular story will take place during the first installment of the Avengers franchise, and then we'll see where it goes from there.

I own nothing, except for little Valentina. Enjoy. J

 **Chapter Two**

"Agent Coulson, I really don't do well with heights. You're sure I have to get on this damned quinjet with you?"

The man I had spent the last week with, being briefed and actually forming a friendship with laughed at my words. He shook his head, wrapping an arm around my shoulders gently and pulling me toward the jet. While his stern face meant business, I could see a look of compassion in his eyes and the warmth that passed between our bodies let me release a somewhat relaxed sigh. _At least you have Phil…_

"Oh Val, it really won't be horrible. I'll be with you, and Agent Romanoff will be there when we land…you can even take a nap if needed."

"How in the hell do you expect me to take a nap when the possibility of falling to my death in a metal prison could happen at any moment?"

Rolling his eyes at me, Phil walked me up onto the jet and into our seats. Across from our bench was a blonde man whose muscles had muscles. His t-shirt and jeans were well-fitted to his body, and yet while he looked so relaxed there was a look in his eye of complete discomfort. I knew his face to be Steve Rogers, aka Captain America. AKA my leader.

"Captain. This here is Valentina Pavlova…codename Replica. She will be joining you on the team."

Steve's electric blue eyes finally looked toward us, and my breath hitched when I realized he was looking at me. Our eyes stared directly into one another's for a few moments longer than necessary before I turned my head to look at Phil, a smile spreading across my lips. I slowly turned back, extending my hand across to the man who took my much smaller hand in his own.

"Steve Rogers, ma'am."

Our hands shook and I pulled mine away after only a few seconds before nodding my head once and offering a small smile. I suddenly realized just how uncomfortable I was in my birth face, in my true skin…it was easier for people to ridicule me this way. I felt the jet lift off into the air, and forced myself to sit, looking up to Phil knowing my eyes were wide. He sat next to me, chuckling softly and taking my hand into his own. He gave it a reassuring squeeze, allowing me to calm down slightly. _At least if I go down, I'll go down with a friend…_

When we landed, I practically ran from the jet onto nice, solid, non-moving ground. I took a deep breath and was pleased to find my nostrils filled with the scent of salt water. Safe on the boat, I looked around at the business of the people surrounding me, each and every one wearing a S.H.I.E.L.D uniform, hold for the redheaded woman waiting in front of me. I sighed in relief again at the site of Natasha, walking forward to give her a brief hug. Phil wasn't the only friend I'd made in the past week, after all.

"Agent Romanoff, this is Captain Steve Rogers. I'm taking Val here inside before it gets…too exciting for her. Meet us on the bridge whenever the time is right."

Phil linked his arm through mine and walked me into the actual part of the ship, and to my pleasure there had to of been hundreds of computers, each holding limitless information. There were also plenty of new faces for me to read and duplicate, and so I studied for a moment before looking at Phil as the reality of his words set in.

"What do you mean 'before it gets to exciting' for me? What's happening? Did you bring me here to kill me, Phil? I thought we were closer than that, Agent Coulson."

It was at that exact moment I began to see the water and sky move downward, making my eyes widen once again in both shock and fear. They had brought me on a giant fucking airplane S.H.I.E.L.D base. I turned to Phil, ready to yell, before the anxiety took over and I passed out onto the floor in front of me.

"Valentina? Hello? Val? Replica…? Earth to Val. It's time to wake up."

My eyes slowly fluttered at the sound of Agent Coulson calling my name, and a groan fell from my lips. They had me lying on a TABLE, sprawled in front of Bruce Banner, Steve Rogers, AND Natasha…fabulous. And I hadn't even met Bruce yet.

"Sorry about that…show. Phil here left out the detail that they were putting me on a giant airplane when I'm afraid of heights." I pushed myself off of the table and stood, turning back to my team. "Hi. Name's Valentina, but you can all call me Val. Actually, please call me Val because I despise my full name. I'm sort of a…last minute addition to this clusterfuck of superhumans."

Steve flinched at my words, probably because of the use of language, but Natasha's lips smoothed up into a small smirk. Bruce…well, he didn't know exactly what to make of me. He blinked in confusion up at me and then slowly extended his hand, breathing deep.

"Bruce Banner."

I smiled, taking his hand in a flash but shaking it gently, my smile growing wider. I could see the _need_ for acceptance in his eyes, the emotions he was trying to hide behind the soft brown. He _needed_ for someone to relate to him, for someone to be the _same_ as him. But it was something, he felt, he would never have. And how very _wrong_ he was. And even I could see that he was looking at me with…curiosity, and I knew the question he must've been asking in his head. I leaned into him slow, lowly whispering in his ear.

"If you're wondering if I can transform into a hulk…the answer is yes. Fully functional, like the other-"

"We got a hit. Sixty seven percent match. Wait, cross match, seventy nine percent."

"Location?" Agent Coulson gave no time for the rest of us to soak in who had spoken.

"Stuttgart, Germany. 28, Konigstrasse. He's not exactly hiding."

"Captain. You're up. Val? You're with him."

Steve simply nodded, but I smiled and rushed down the hall to the room I knew was mine, hoping there was a suit there for me to wear. And oh _was_ there.

I pulled the suit off of the bed, smirking down at the black material and running my fingers over it. It was a full suit, much like Natasha's, but with grey gloves and a utility belt that would fall around my hips. There were thigh high black boots on the floor, and my eyes grew at the sight.

"The suit will link into your conscious and allow you to shift it into another design…or other clothing, as you wish. It took scientists all night to figure it out, but we figured you would ne-"

I interrupted Phil with my arms being thrown around his waist. Truthfully, I hadn't received much kindness from anyone in years, and the kindness this man had been showing me was almost too much to bear. I forced back my tears with a soft sniff, and I pulled back to look up at the elder agent. If it weren't for Phil, I wouldn't have come, and I wouldn't have stayed. But he was there. I leaned up to place a soft kiss on his cheek before walking into my restroom to change.

"In the end, you will always kneel."

"Whoa, what's up with the reindeer down there? Rudolf gone wrong?" I couldn't help but let the joke slide from my lips as I strapped daggers to my thighs. The man below was _very_ green and gold, with some hideously formed horns on his head. He honestly looked ridiculous.

"Not to men like you." Shit old man, sit down before you get killed.

"There are no men like me."

"There are always men like you."

"Look to your elders, people. Let him be an example." Steve dove in just in time as the man, angry Rudolf, was about to shoot the man with his scepter. But Steve blocked the attack, knocking the man down on his ass.

"You know, the last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing." Oh, Cap. WWII puns.

"Ah, the soldier. A man out of time. Not the one, today, I am interested in. Tell your friend to join us." His eyes flashed up to me in the quinjet, and if it wasn't already obvious who he was talking about, the carnal gaze he gave my way made it obvious. "So very far from home…just like me."

"I'm not the one who's out of time."

"Loki, drop the weapon and stand down."

"You're hot when you give orders, Natasha, but he's not gonna go for that."

I smirked and, despite my hatred for heights, jumped from the jet landing gracefully on my feet, just as Loki sent a blast at it. Steve and Loki began to fight, and eventually Loki had Cap on the ground, standing over him.

"Kneel."

"Not today, Rudolf."

I gathered the power from the scepter and forced a blast of energy toward Loki, who was in return sent flying back. I smirked, pleased with my display of power before I realized how _tired_ using the scepter's power had made me. I shook my head and slowly began to draw the power back into my hands in what could've been the stop to Loki and the Captain fighting.

But, "Shoot to Thrill" came over the speaker from the quinjet rather loudly, and Iron Man sent a blast to Loki, forcing the man onto the ground. Iron Man touched down, and every freaking weapon that suit must have was suddenly pointed at Loki.

"Make your move, Reindeer Games." Iron Man spoke sternly, and I stepped up to stand between the man of metal and the Captain. Loki slowly raised his hands in surrender, his armor materializing away. "Good move."

"Mr. Stark."

"Captain." The Iron Man helmet lowered, and Tony Stark turned to face me. I was sort of…taken back at the man before me. I had seen him before, on TV, magazines, newspapers…but right now, I was really _seeing_ him. And he was gorgeous. "And who is this stunner?"

I was comfortably lying on a bench in the quinjet, trying to level my breathing as instructed by Steve. Using the scepter's power had taken a lot of my own energy, and I was left with a headache and an all over body pain. Loki sat across from me, smirking at my pain and I felt the never-ending urge to reach across the space between us and wipe the smug look off of his face for him. But instead I focused long enough to bring in the Captain's healing power, and within minutes I was standing up and walking carefully over to the two men, smirking toward Loki as I did.

"-like it." Is what I walked up to as Steve and Tony Stark were talking.

"What? Rock of Ages giving up so easily?"

"I don't remember it ever being that easy. This guy packs a wallop."

"Still, you are pretty spry, for an older fellow. What's your thing? Pilates?"

"What?"

"It's like calisthenics. You might have missed a couple things, you know, doing time as a Capsicle." I tried to hold back my giggle, but I couldn't. Tony smiled at my life and Steve rolled his eyes, finally turning to face Tony.

"Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in."

"Oh trust me, boys, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you."

Tony looked interested at my words, and was about to respond before thunder and lightning struck almost on the plane, shaking us all. We all looked around, Steve becoming instantly ready for battle.

"Where's this coming from?" Natasha called back as thunder rumbled overhead again, making Loki stare out of the window. A smirk crossed over my lips as I looked over at the man.

"What's the matter, big boy? Afraid of a little lightning?"

"I'm not overly fond of what follows."


	3. Chapter 3-The Fall

Wow! This story is getting a good bit of attention and I really, truly appreciate that! I'm glad there are people that are enjoying my writing and my OC. It makes me really excited to update, particularly this chapter where we do get to see Thor and Valentina interact.

Wolf: Thank you so much! As we know what happens to Phil in this film, it's going to be very hard on Valentina. And I do plan on adding a bit into her friendship with Bruce. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

As always, I don't own anything in this story except Valentina, and please enjoy this long chapter!

 **Chapter Three**

"I'm not overly fond of what follows."

Before any of us could register what was happening, another man dressed in old armor and a long cape was opening the ramp and stepping into the jet. He grabbed Loki by the throat and flied out, leaving us all dumbstruck. It was Tony that spoke first, breaking the silence.

"Now there's that guy."

"Another Asgardian?" Natasha's words snapped me back into reality, and I immediately pulled my boots back on and started stretching my arms.

"Think the guy's a friendly?" Steve's words were so old fashioned that I couldn't help but smile at his words, giving my head a brief shake before I started to get serious.

"Doesn't matter, Cap. If he frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract's lost. We can't afford that." I spoke as I felt the familiar pain in body, especially in my arms and legs as I shifted myself into an owl. Transforming into animals wasn't really my favorite thing, but the situation at hand definitely called for it. With that I was diving from the jet, taking a deep breath toward the cliff where Loki and Thor were perched. As I was about to land, Tony swept Thor away and onto the forest ground, leaving me with Rudolf.

A few feet away from a soft landing, I transformed back into a human form, landing swiftly on my feet and standing to face Loki. The man didn't even _move_ , he simply sat, laughing and watching the fight unfold beneath him. Taking the bait, I walked to stand beside him and glanced at him before speaking.

"I find it humorous that you and your…team…think you will be able to stop me and my purpose. How could you hope to fight me when all you're doing thus far is fighting yourselves?"

I pondered his question for a moment, breathing inwardly as the truth of his question set in. Loki, insane as he was, was right. All we had done this far was fight. Even Steve and I hadn't really worked together; I had only worked to save him from Loki's wrath. I glanced at Loki, letting a breath fall from my lips before I decided to reply.

"You may be right as of now. And from up here, looking at them, you would guess that we will never become a team and you will be able to get away with whatever you have planned for the Earth. But I can promise you that even with how we look now, you will lose. You have _nothing_ here to fight for, and we have everything. Our homes, our loved ones, ourselves, everything. And at the end of the day, that willingness and need to fight to protect what is important to us will overpower your petty whims."

"You speak delightfully, Valentina. And you are capable of so very much. You would, even with your species, make a great Queen. Perhaps I will consider that during my war."

With the eyeroll of the century, I kicked Loki's legs out from under him, sending him tumbling down the cliff in a ball of black and green. Smirking, I transformed again and dove down the cliff, shifting back as he reached the bottom so I could reach down and pull him up by his collar. Dragging him behind me, I came to stand in a clearing that had been created when Thor's hammer collided with the Captain's shield. The three men were still standing there, arguing, and after a minute I couldn't take their immaturity anymore.

"HEY. If the three so-called men who are standing in front of me could stop acting like CHILDREN for one moment and turn their attention to me, that would be fantastic!" Slowly, three pairs of eyes fell onto me and their faces dropped from anger to fear. I knew that when I was feeling intense anger, my eyes shone red, and now was more than likely not an exception. "While the three of you decided to have a testosterone match, Loki here could have escaped YET AGAIN and left us with even LESS time to fix the mess we are currently supposed to be fixing! Now, I suggest marching back to the jet, staying AWAY from each other and not ONE SINGLE WORD to be spoken the ENTIRE way back. If you disobey that order, you will be sorry. Now, move out soldiers!"

The three men continued to stand in their places, and with another shout of 'now' on my part, they scrambled to pick up their belongings and move back to the quinjet, myself following behind whilst pushing Loki forward. The entire jet ride back was completely silent, and I smirked to myself knowing the effect I had on the men.

* * *

I had taken it upon myself to transform into a guard so I could escort Loki into the glass prison that had, initially, been designed for Bruce. I uncuffed the man and pushed him forward, the door closing as Fury began to speak. I stood in my position, a smirk plastered on my lips. After Fury closed the hatch, I shifted back into the form Loki had earlier seen me in, the same smirk still on my lips. With a graceful motion toward Loki, I declared he was the ant, and Director Fury was the boot.

"It's an impressive cage. Not built, I think, for me."

"Built for something a lot stronger than you." Fury, don't give into him…

"Oh, I've heard. The mindless beast, makes play he's still a man. How desperate are you, that you call upon such lost creatures to defend you? The best you've got is in this room, with me."

"Bruce Banner is not a mindless beast and he is more of a man than you could ever hope to be, Loki." It was the first time I had addressed him by name, and his head snapped toward me, a sickly smile growing on his lips.

"How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace and you kill cause it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did."

"Ooh. It burns you to have come so close. To have the Tessaract, to have power, unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share, and then to be reminded what real power is."

"Well, you let us know if Real Power wants a magazine or something." Fury and I took that as our exit. Going our separate ways at the end of the hall, I made my way to where the Avengers had been watching the interrogation, entering as Bruce insulted Loki.

"Have care of how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard, and he is my brother." Thor spoke behind a mask, attempting to hide the deep emotion he was feeling toward his brother, and I cocked my head to the side in interest. I walked forward, dropping into a chair next to Bruce.

"He killed eighty people in two days."

"…he's adopted."

"Iridium, what did they need the Iridium for?" Bruce was trying to deflect the attention off of Thor and Natasha, and I patted his arm gently in a soft thank you.

"It's a stabilizing agent." Tony walked in with Phil, who I instantly stood up to walk toward, feeling relief wash over me at the sight of my dearest friend. "Means the portal won't collapse on itself, like it did at SHIELD. No hard feelings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing."

Tony patted Thor on his…well, his admittedly large bicep and I rolled my eyes at his antics before hugging Phil quickly. Tony would, of course, continue.

"Also, it means the portal can stay open as long as Loki wants. Raise the mid-mast, ship the top sails. That man is playing GALAGA! Thought we wouldn't notice, but we did." Tony covered one eye, to mimic Fury and attempted to look around. "How does Fury do this?"

"He turns." Agent Hill snapped at him, and I couldn't help the grimace that came over my face. Agent Hill was definitely _not_ my favorite person on the ship. She was always so serious, and so boring. And she didn't like that I was allowed on the team, after breaking into SHIELD.

"Well, that sounds exhausting. The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source. A high energy density, something to kick start the cube."

"When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?" Ugh, Hill again…

"Last night. The packet, Selvig's notes, the Extraction Theory papers. Am I the only one who did the reading?"

"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" There we go Steve, reel them back in.

"He's got to heat the cube to a hundred and twenty million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier." Bruce spoke, and I at least understood what he was talking about. So did Tony, it seemed.

"Unless Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect."

"Well, if he could do that he could achieve Heavy Ion Fusion at any reactor on the planet."

It was me who spoke last, and everyone in the room turned to look at me, shock written on their faces. I smirked a bit, enjoying that no one had expected any sort of intelligence from me. Tony and Bruce were instantly at my sides, pulling me forward with them. Tony patted the two of us on the back, before continuing, "Finally, people who speak English."

"Is that what just happened?" Everyone ignored Steve as the three of us shook hands, Tony clearly focused on Bruce.

"It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster."

* * *

I had elected not to spend time in the labs with Tony and Bruce, instead staying behind where I was comfortable. I was high up on the bridge, sitting where Clint normally would have, watching as we passed through the clouds. Even with my fear of heights, I was more comfortable in my current position, and anxiety did not take over me. There were more pressing matters to worry over at the present.

"Lady Valentina. What troubles you so that you hide away from your friends?" I glanced up at Thor, moving over slightly so the massive man could take his place next to me. He did, and my body language relaxed at the warmth I couldn't help but feel pass between us. His blue eyes turned down toward me, concern now masking his features. "You have many worries in your heart."

"I do. I have many worries. I worry for my friends, and for this team. I worry that we're not the people SHIELD thought we were, and that we won't be able to stop Loki in time. I worry about the fate of this world."

"But you do not worry for yourself?"

I shook my head, refusing to look up into his gorgeous features, my breathing becoming increasingly heavier as I finally felt the anxiety setting in. "I never worry about myself. It's not my place to. I am merely one small part in the bigger picture. If I have to die to save this world, then it's what needs to happen. I won't be selfish enough to try to save myself at the cost of thousands of others. I'll die a noble death, I suppose. It would be better than living with guilt."

I was practically burning under Thor's gaze now, and I had to turn my head and look up to meet his eyes. Our eyes locked, and for once I couldn't tell the emotions he was trying to hide behind his eyes. His lips twitched into a smile, and I couldn't help but smile back up at the man before me. His hand gently reached down to mine, and as his hand shocked mine I let a laugh fall from my lips. His smile grew more at that, but faltered before turning into a joyous laugh as I absorbed his power and shocked him back gently.

"You are very unique, Lady Valentina. You have a wonderful spirit living inside of you. My mother would take pleasure in meeting you. Your magic is delightful to watch."

"Already asking me to meet your parents? At least take me on a date first, Sir Thor." My tone, though supposed to be mocking, could not cover up the seriousness of my words. Thor smiled, and after a moment it softened into something much more than a smile. I was suddenly aware that he was _painfully_ close to me; so close that I could feel his warm breath washing over my face. I exhaled myself, realizing that the build up of anxiety I had earlier been feeling had subsided before this man. Whispering barely loud enough for him to hear, I questioned what we were doing, not knowing who I was really asking.

His hand fully engulfed mine then. His strong, tanned hand wrapped itself entirely over my pale, slender hand and his head dropped to mine. He stopped, taking a second to run his eyes over my face, before I jumped to my feet, grabbing my hand out of his grasp. I felt the springing of tears at the corner of my eyes, and all I could do was shake my head. Thor stood, making to move toward me and my feet took a step backward without me having to even think about it. My eyes reached his again, and the confused look in his eyes almost broke me down right there. But I _had_ to be the strong one. I had to put the seriousness to an end.

"Thor…we can't do this. I can't do this. Not with a war threatening to begin at anytime. It wouldn't be right."

"It was of my opinion that before a war began was the perfect time for such emotions to be displayed, Lady Valentina. You are a strong warrior, and you are beautiful. You are noble, and when I heard you command the Captain of all things America and the Man of Iron along with myself…I felt something for you in that clearing. Your voice held such passion, and such courage. I still feel what I felt then when you speak."

"Thor…listen, I…" Coulson was then speaking in my earpiece, asking me to bring Thor to the labs, interrupting what would have been the worst explanation of why I wouldn't let Thor get close to me. I nodded, replying that I would escort him before taking a deep breath. "Your presence is required in the labs, Prince Thor."

* * *

When the engine blew, I knew that I needed to get to Loki. I shifted into a perfect replication of Thor, and sprinted the entire way to the glass prison. As soon as I reached the detention center, I could see Loki escaping. I screamed no, a charged at him, only to move straight through him. The Loki I had charged at dissipated into nothing, and the real Loki came out from behind the cell door, which closed. On me. I was locked in the prison.

Loki had locked me in the prison, thinking I was Thor.

"Are you ever not going to fall for that?"

My eyes widened and frantically searched around the prison, looking for _someway_ to escape. But there was none. Of course there would be none, it was meant to keep the other guy, the Hulk, contained.

"The humans think us immortal. Should we test that?" Loki's smile was sickening, but he was quickly distracted as his soldier fell down, hard. Phil stood there, holding what I knew to be a Phase 2 weapon prototype.

"Move away, please." Loki slowly stepped away from the switch, and Phil glanced at me. From the look in his eyes, I could tell that he knew it was not the _real_ Thor in the prison. Phil knew it was me, his best friend, trapped in the prison. He took a step to the side, standing between the prison and Loki. "You like this? We started working on the prototype after you sent the Destroyer. Even I don't know what it does. Do you wanna find out?"

Phil gasped, and my world came crashing down around me. Phil was impaled through the heart by Loki, the real Loki, who was standing behind him. A scream escaped my lips, and tears fell down my face as I looked in Phil's eyes as he slumped down the wall. I held my hand up to the glass and screamed again, no, this couldn't be happening. But it was happening. Phil used what was left of his strength to mouth to me to "be good", and before I could register what was happening the prison was beginning to drop. With me in it.

And with the last glance at Loki, I shifted back to my true form and screamed.


End file.
